by Dan | Mar 1, 2026 | Etc.
This past week has been a whirlwind at clinic…”my last week as a doctor in practice”. I thought I was ready, and then as each day went, it was then “my last Monday”, “my last Wednesday”, and then, “my last patient!”. I came in Thursday to wrap paper work up, make sure labs or tests were being taken care of, and then it truly became “my last day working as a doctor”. Where did all of the time go? There were times when I did not think it would ever end, and now that is has, I can’t believe how fast it truly went. Chris had a celebration on Monday for her 50 years of service…as a nurse in primary care her entire career!
Then Wednesday she gave me some gifts…
Since I am now going to be doing the cooking, I got an apron to wear for “my first time”. It says “Retired. Under new management. See wife for details!” How fitting. I have now been under “Chris” management for “my last time”, and the baton has been turned officially over to Sarah. She gave me an incredible clock to have on my desk at home. Then the hugs starting happening for “my last time”, well at least at work anyway! Chris made me another M and M cake for the celebration on Saturday!
The planning was all done by Stef and Bonnie—years of working with them for “my last time”…they made for a great retirement beginning for “my first time.”
Many celebrations over the last several weeks from my physician partners, and former Brown clinic employees. Seems like only yesterday were were working together for “my first time”, and now we are celebrating work “for my last time”. It is time to bring on the new era…for “my first time!”
My family was there to help celebrate, and my table of memories of them, and from my patients…to recognize also my patients for “my last time”, and to new adventures and memory making with my family for “the first time”.
It has been a great career! I appreciate all the celebrations…all the memories…both for “my last time..and my first times!” Keep moving everybody. I still want to see everybody being healthy! To life’s next adventures…for “my first times” coming up!
Thank you for everything!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest streak: # 732
by Dan | Feb 22, 2026 | Etc.
With retirement fast approaching, I have been giving suggestions and ideas of what I can do with my time. My cousin, Kathy Kruiter, gave me this Walmart greeter uniform that I could use to fall back on! How did she know that is what I always wanted to do!!! Hilarious! But, I will say, I have some things on my own list.
I got back to running last Sunday. I had issues with my feet, then had the blood clot, so I have not been able to run for about 5 months. I managed a 5k last Sunday, and was very sore the next few days. I will take that anytime! It was great to be able to go out and run again. We decided to stay in this Sunday. My brother John from Rapid City is visiting, and it is incredibly cold out. Let’s just say the main reason we did not run today was because we wanted to spend more time visiting with my brother!!
I will be planning on spending more time as a grandpa. We had spent some days with them a couple of weeks ago helping to watch them when my other grandson was having surgery for his cleft lip. We got Connor ready for school and taking down the driveway to get on the bus.
It is crazy to think he is old enough for this already! Of course, we spent some time at the park later, and then went and got ice cream. I think it is safe to say they had a ball…and so did we!
I will always be taking pictures, and now I will be able to have more time, and will be able to get in on more sunrise and sunsets as well.
It will be different, but I am ready! I will always still be learning…just different things now. That is also what is exciting about this retirement…I will have more time to learn other things besides medicine. Wow! I am looking forward to some exciting times. I will also have more time to work on my exercise as well, and will have some flexibility as to when I can do it as well. Time to fasten the seat belt and enjoy the next adventures! I will keep writing as well, and will be working on some books. I will let you know when they get done. Just remember everybody…keep moving, and strive to survive!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 725
by Dan | Feb 15, 2026 | Etc.
In a few weeks, a new chapter in my life begins. I will officially be retired. This sounds very strange. 35 total years of being a physician. I look back on this and at times it seems like time goes very slow, but in reality, these 35 years went very fast! These years have brought about many changes, advances in medicine, technology, new medications, new tests and scans, and new thoughts of caring for patients. Medicine is always advancing, and you have to keep up with the pace. We are always learning. Lifelong learning. I plan on continuing to learn when I am officially retired, but it will be in other areas besides medicine. It will involve some things I never had a chance to learn before. It is both exciting and scary! The new adventures will keep coming. I hope to see you help celebrate my retirement. I hope I have made a lot of positive changes in my patients, because they have made changes in me. Thank you for the honor of taking care of you! Keep moving everybody, and do what you can to help improve, and maintain, your own health!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 718
by Dan | Feb 8, 2026 | Etc.
We got to have the grandkids this weekend. Connor and Tessa wanted to help me work out. Sarah took the dog for a walk outside, and then I rode the stationary bike inside. A few minutes after I got started they both came running downstairs and wanted to workout too. Tessa started by riding with me on the bike, and then they wanted to be on the treadmill. I don’t let them go faster than 1 mile an hour, so it is pretty slow. I just had to laugh watching Connor. He starts off just walking, then starts getting a little more confident, and “cocky”, and tries to get fancy while I am taking pictures of him, Follow this sequence of his pictures and I am sure you will get a laugh also!
You have to pay attention on the treadmill! This is why they only get to go 1 mile an hour on it. Then, of course, they both had to get on it. Tessa now was hanging on, and Connor was walking backwards (still too confident!)
Of course afterwards, they worked up an appetite for breakfast, and then later Tessa helped Sarah make chocolate chip cookies, and she had to clean the spoons!
Never a dull moment when the grandkids are around! Caleb is going to have his first surgery this coming week.
He will get his lip fixed. Excited, and nervous. We are so used to him now that it will be hard seeing him with his cleft lip closed! Just praying he does ok. Just like our kids, you are always going to worry about the grandkids too! We want to be working out with him later when he gets bigger too! He got up early this AM–a few hours earlier than usual. I guess it was time to eat! Now, after I got done changing him, and getting his bottle ready, and listening to all of the screaming, we had a little talk while he was eating. As soon as he saw the bottle coming, the screaming quit, and he latched on, and then just looked at me while he ate. It was a good time to have a talk. We talked about he virtues of patience, and the true difference between “hungry” and “hangry”. Afterwards, he just melted into my chest, arms sprawled out, and fell asleep. It was Caleb’s way of saying “Thank you Grandpa Dan. I sure love you!” Don’t worry Caleb…all is forgiven. I will catch up on sleep later. Payment in snuggles is priceless!!! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest streak: # 711
by Dan | Feb 1, 2026 | Etc.
We had our annual Family Medicine Conference out in the Black Hills these past 4 days. It took place at the Deadwood Lodge. Friday night Sarah was honored with becoming the South Dakota Family Doctor of the Year! She has accomplished great things in her career of 32 years in Watertown, 35 years as a physician. She has delivered well over 1,000 babies! Babies she delivered were now coming in as moms to deliver their babies! She stopped doing OB at the end of January last year. She always wanted to do at minimum 2 years of just clinic after completing OB. She will decide when she will retire. Doing OB takes its toll physically on you, and she called it a career with this last year. She has been a past president of our South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians. She has spent all of her years teaching other students–medical students, residents, nursing students, etc. We even teach other Family Physicians on topics we have to do to maintain our Board certification. These sessions with the Family Doctors are questions/lectures that can take up to 4 hours at a time. We have done 30 of these sessions.
Our kids were not able to be present Friday night when this award was presented. I had each of our kids write a letter to her congratulating her. I read one of them Friday night. It was hard to choose which one to read, but I chose the one from Molly. She works in the health care field as an Ultrasound Tech, and knows what call is like. She has 3 kids herself and knows the struggles of trying to juggle everything as a mom, with all of the other duties of work. I made it through reading it but had several moments of “choking up”. There was not a dry eye in the house! Sarah had more tears after reading the letters from Megan and Nick! Thanks to all of our kids for doing this!
We are so proud of you Sarah! You have worked hard all of these years with your career. You have left a mark with the lives you have helped take care of all of these years and will continue to do yet. But your mark as my wife, and as a mom and grandma, will especially never be forgotten. We are beaming with pride with you being chosen as South Dakota Family Doctor of the Year!!!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest streak: # 704
